Modern hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, typically include a digital signal processor in communication with a microphone and receiver. Such designs are adapted to perform a great deal of processing on sounds received by the microphone. More and more hearing aids include a wireless communication option which provides a way to communicate with the hearing aid using another device. Such devices may have their own wireless protocols for communications or may use an industry standard protocol. However, there are situations where the wireless function of the hearing assistance device should be disabled, such as when flying (according to existing FAA rules). There are also situations where the energy consumption could be greatly reduced by placing the wireless radio functions in a hearing assistance device in a low power or standby state.
Hearing assistance device designs typically have a very limited amount of available volume to hold the electronics. A persistent problem is the placement of means to control the device. Hearing assistance devices have limited space to place controls. The limited space issues also magnify the need to conserve power in a hearing assistance device. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for apparatus and methods to provide improved control of a hearing assistance device, including a provision for low power or standby modes of operation of the device.